Circular No. 06/2016/TT-BGDĐT promulgates the Regulations on Admissions for Overseas Study Programs.

 

 

 

REGULATIONS

Overseas Student Recruitment

(Issued together with Circular No. 06/2016/TT-BGDĐT dated March 21, 2016 of the Minister of Education and Training)

 

 

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

1. These regulations govern overseas student recruitment under scholarship programs funded by the State budget, bilateral agreements, and other scholarships managed by the Ministry of Education and Training, including: eligible candidates, conditions, principles, and methods of recruitment, organization of recruitment, and handling of recruitment results.

2. These regulations apply to secondary school, college, university, master's, doctoral, internship, and training recruitment abroad.

3. These regulations do not apply to overseas student recruitment under projects and programs approved by the Government and the Prime Minister, which have detailed guidance documents on recruitment procedures.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In these Regulations, the following terms shall be understood as follows:

1. Leading unit Recruitment entity is an agency or unit under the Ministry of Education and Training assigned the task of managing and overseeing recruitment activities for overseas study under approved scholarship programs.

2. Selection Committee is a committee established by the Minister of Education and Training based on the proposal of the Main Organizing Unit for Admissions to carry out the selection of candidates for studying abroad.

3. (Sponsor) Foreign government, organizations, and individuals within and outside Vietnam providing financial support for Vietnamese citizens to study or train abroad.

4. State budget scholarship is a scholarship funded from the State budget according to projects and programs approved by the Government.

5. Bilateral agreement scholarship is a scholarship based on cooperation agreements and bilateral agreements signed between the State and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and other countries, territories, or international organizations.

6. Other scholarships are scholarships provided by sponsors, including Official Development Assistance (ODA) sourced from units, programs, and projects under the Ministry of Education and Training that mobilize, manage, and utilize such funds.

Chapter II

ELIGIBILITY, CONDITIONS, PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF RECRUITMENT

Article 3. Eligibility and Conditions for Application

The applicants for studying abroad are Vietnamese citizens who meet the following conditions:

1. Possess good political and moral qualities.

2. Ensure sufficient health to participate in the overseas study program.

3. Not currently under disciplinary action or criminal prosecution.

4. Hold academic degrees and certificates as required by each scholarship program.

5. Meet language requirements or possess language certificates as stipulated by each scholarship program.

6. Be within the age range specified by each scholarship program.

7. Submit complete application files and admission fees (if applicable) according to the announcement on time.

8. Comply with current regulations on civil servant and public official training and development (for civil servant and public official candidates).

9. Meet other specific conditions of each scholarship program.

Article 4. Priority in Admission

1. Priority Applicants

a) Applicants from agencies and localities prioritized for human resource training as prescribed by the Government;

b) Applicants with outstanding achievements in studies and scientific research;

c) Other priority applicants as prescribed by current State regulations and each specific scholarship program.

2. Priority Fields of Study

a) Fields of study aligned with the direction and planning for human resource development at each stage; special fields requiring priority training to serve national programs, projects, and plans approved by the Government;

b) Fields of study that Vietnam cannot train or whose quality does not meet practical needs, and where there is a shortage of personnel in Vietnam;

c) Fields of study that foreign countries prioritize for awarding scholarships to Vietnam.

Article 5. Principles of Application Registration

1. When the Ministry of Education and Training simultaneously implements multiple scholarship programs, an applicant may only apply for one scholarship program at a higher level than their existing degree. Special cases will be reviewed and decided by the Minister of Education and Training.

2. Applicants applying for master's or doctoral programs must register for a field of study abroad that meets the human resource development needs of the agency or locality sending them to study; aligns with their job position or work requirements, or the field of study they completed at the previous educational level.

Article 6. Admissions Methods

1. Studying abroad admissions can be conducted through one of the following methods: selection; or a combination of selection and examination.

2. Based on the provisions of each scholarship program, the main organizing unit shall reach a written agreement with related units to determine the method of admissions for studying abroad.

Article 7. Criteria for Selecting Candidates

1. Based on the specific provisions of each scholarship program, referring to Clause 2 of this Article, the Selection Committee shall coordinate with the main organizing unit and related units to establish selection criteria and the order of priority for these criteria.

2. Selection criteria include the following contents:

a) Academic achievements, awards in studies, research, and work (if applicable);

b) Academic results of the previous level of education or degree;

c) Language scores (as specified by the scholarship program);

d) Evaluation and order of priority proposed by the recommending agency (if applicable);

đ) Work experience (if applicable);

e) Examination results (if applicable);

g) Other selection criteria and priority provisions as stipulated by each scholarship program.

Chapter III

ADMISSION ORGANIZATION

Article 8. Announcement of Admissions

1. The announcement for overseas study admissions shall be sent to relevant agencies, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and localities according to the requirements and suitability of the scholarship program; it shall be publicly posted on the electronic information website of the Ministry of Education and Training at the address: www.moet.gov.vn and on the electronic information website of the main organizing entity. Announcements posted on these electronic information websites have the same legal validity as the original documents.

2. The contents of the admissions announcement include: country sending for training, level of training, admission method, number of scholarships, scholarship quotas for each level and field (if applicable), scholarship benefits, duration of training, target group, conditions, application dossier, and deadline for application.

Article 9. Application Documents for Recruitment

1. Based on specific regulations of each scholarship program and opinions from related units, the main organizing entity shall establish an appropriate application dossier for each target group and level of training.

2. Applicants submit one set of application dossier corresponding to the level of education or training they apply for, either by direct submission during office hours or by mailing the dossier to the designated address as specified in the admissions announcement, or by submitting online (if available).

3. Requirements for the application dossier for each level of education and training are stipulated in Appendix I attached to this Regulation.

4. The application form is prescribed in Appendix III attached to this Regulation.

Article 10. Recruitment Board

1. The Selection Board, established by the Minister of Education and Training, consists of the following components:

a) Chairman of the Board: representative of the leadership of the main organizing entity;

b) Vice-Chairman of the Board: representative of the leadership of related entities;

c) Members of the Board: representatives of the leadership of related entities under the Ministry of Education and Training. Depending on the specific requirements of each scholarship program, members of the board may also include representatives of sponsors and other agencies and units.

2. Supporting the Selection Board is the Secretariat of the Selection Board, consisting of the Head of the Secretariat and Secretariat members who are civil servants and employees working at the main organizing entity, related entities under the Ministry of Education and Training, and other agencies and units (if applicable).

3. Duties and powers of the Selection Board:

a) Unify working principles and selection criteria for applicants;

b) Select applicants for overseas study, ensuring transparency, fairness, and compliance with the target groups and selection criteria stipulated in each scholarship program;

c) Report to the Minister of Education and Training and propose solutions when issues arise during the selection process;

d) Coordinate with the main organizing entity to submit to the Minister of Education and Training for approval of the selection results for applicants for overseas study;

e) Be responsible to the Minister of Education and Training for the selection results of applicants.

4. Duties and powers of the Secretariat:

a) Collaborate with the main organizing entity to compile a list of applicants, categorizing them by level of training and countries applied for;

b) Collaborate with the main organizing entity to verify and cross-check the application dossiers against the compiled list;

c) Rank applicants from highest to lowest according to the selection criteria for each level of training and countries applied for;

d) Present the list of applicants to the Selection Board for review;

e) Compile the evaluation results of the Selection Board;

f) Record minutes of Selection Board meetings;

g) Carry out additional tasks during the admissions process as required by the Chairman of the Selection Board.

5. Individuals whose parents, spouses, children, or full siblings are applying for scholarships through the programs shall not participate in the Selection Board or serve in the Secretariat supporting the Selection Board.

Article 11. Tasks of the main unit for admissions

1. Lead and coordinate with relevant units to develop plans for overseas study admissions according to programs, projects, and schemes under the management of the Ministry of Education and Training.

2. Submit to the Minister of Education and Training for issuing a decision to establish the Selection Board and the Secretariat assisting the Selection Board.

3. Lead and coordinate with relevant units to submit to the Minister of Education and Training for issuing the admission announcement.

4. Collect application files and application fees (if applicable) within the deadline specified in the admission announcement.

5. Arrange necessary working conditions and means for the activities of the Selection Board.

6. Lead and coordinate with relevant units to organize and implement overseas study admissions work including the preparation of shortlists, processing of application files, and selection of candidates as stipulated in Article 12 of this Regulation.

7. Submit to the Minister of Education and Training for approval of the selection results.

8. Lead and coordinate with relevant units to process post-selection results for candidates.

9. Implement the storage of admission files and documents in accordance with current regulations.

10. Perform other tasks related to overseas study admissions work.

Article 12. Procedure for processing application files and selecting candidates

1. Within no more than 60 working days from the end date of the application file submission period for scholarships, the Selection Board shall convene a meeting to review and unify the list of candidates meeting the conditions for successful admission or meeting the preliminary selection requirements (for scholarship programs with preliminary selection).

2. The main unit for admissions shall unify the selection results with relevant parties (if any) and submit them to the Minister of Education and Training for consideration and approval.

Article 13. Announcement of selection results

The main unit for admissions shall send notifications to candidates selected by the Ministry of Education and Training through one or a combination of the following methods:

1. Publish information on the Ministry of Education and Training's electronic information website or the main unit for admissions' electronic information website.

2. Notify via postal service.

3. Notify via the candidate's personal email (email).

4. Notify on the recruitment system of the Overseas Training Department at the address: https://tuyensinh.vied.vn.

5. Other methods as prescribed by the scholarship program.

Chapter IV

POST-SELECTION RESULT PROCESSING

Article 14. Language Enhancement

1. Candidates selected for overseas study need to proactively enhance and improve their language proficiency to meet the language requirements of educational institutions abroad.

2. If candidates selected for overseas study wish to temporarily suspend their studies or work to enhance and improve their language proficiency, they must obtain permission from their educational institution or workplace. After completing the language course, candidates must return to their educational institution or workplace to continue their studies or work while awaiting procedures for overseas study.

Article 15. Contacting Foreign Educational Institutions Accepting Candidates

1. The main unit for admissions shall issue scholarship confirmation letters to candidates selected for overseas study to register for enrollment with foreign educational institutions (according to the provisions of each scholarship program).

2. Contacting foreign educational institutions for candidates:

a) The main unit for admissions shall coordinate with relevant agencies to assist in contacting foreign educational institutions and requesting acceptance letters for candidates who have been selected;

b) Candidates shall contact and request formal acceptance letters directly from foreign educational institutions.

Article 16. Procedures for Sending to Study Abroad

1. Documents for Sending to Study Abroad

Candidates who have been selected to study abroad shall complete the procedures for sending to study abroad after receiving the formal training acceptance document from the foreign educational institution. In addition to the application documents already submitted, the documents for studying abroad must be supplemented with the types of papers specified in Appendix II attached to this Regulation.

2. Processing Procedure for Documents for Studying Abroad

a) For candidates working at agencies, units, or localities selected to study abroad under state budget scholarships, agreement scholarships, the Ministry of Education and Training shall issue a summons for studying abroad and make a decision to send the candidate to study abroad when receiving the agreement document from the working agency to send the candidate to study abroad;

b) For candidates working at agencies, units, or localities selected to study abroad under other scholarships, the Ministry of Education and Training shall send a notification of successful admission results to the candidate and their working agency to handle the procedures for studying abroad;

c) For candidates without a working agency, the Ministry of Education and Training shall make a decision to send them to study abroad.

3. Time limit for resolution

The maximum time limit for processing the procedures for sending people to study abroad is thirty working days, starting from the day of receiving the scholarship award result from the foreign side (if applicable) and receiving all valid documents. Time spent on revising and supplementing documents is not included in the processing period.

Article 17. Changes After Selection Results Are Announced

1. Candidates who have been selected to study abroad, if they wish to change the country or field of study, must report to the agency that introduced them for selection and the Ministry of Education and Training. A change in the country or field of study will only be considered when meeting the conditions stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article and carried out once before the decision to send to study abroad by the Ministry of Education and Training is made.

2. Conditions for Considering Changes in the Country or Field of Study:

a) Change in the Country of Study

- The scholarship program offers options for countries to study;

- The candidate has submitted applications for acceptance of training at least three (03) educational institutions in the country where they were admitted, with the support of the main recruitment unit but was not accepted by any institution;

- The enrollment quota in the country to which the transfer is requested has not been fully utilized;

- Has been accepted by a reputable educational institution (with programs accredited by professional associations, credible national or international education accreditation organizations; or programs approved by the competent authority to allow training and degree issuance in cases where that country has not implemented or issued a list of accredited programs or educational institutions) in the country to which the transfer is requested;

- The training costs at the educational institution in the country to which the transfer is requested must be lower than or equal to the training costs at the educational institution in the country where the candidate was admitted. In case the training costs are higher, the candidate must arrange the excess costs themselves.

b) Change in the Field of Study: The field to be transferred must be determined as a field within the same group of fields in the List of Higher Education Programs at the College, University, Master's, and Doctorate levels.

3. Candidates wishing to change the country or field of study shall submit one set of documents in person during office hours at the main recruitment unit's workplace or send the documents via postal service, including the following documents:

a) Application form according to the model in Appendix III attached to this Regulation;

b) Acceptance document for training from the foreign educational institution (for cases requesting a change in the country of study);

c) Written evidence showing that the educational institution in the country where the candidate was admitted did not accept them (for cases requesting a change in the country of study);

d) Supporting and agreeing document for changing the country or field of study from the working agency or the agency that introduced the candidate for selection (for candidates working at agencies, units, or localities);

đ) Agreement document from the sponsor allowing a change in the country or field of study (if applicable).

4. Within a maximum of thirty working days from the date of receipt of the candidate's documents, the main recruitment unit will process and notify the result to the candidate through the following methods:

a) Notification through postal mail;

b) Notification through the candidate's personal email;

c) Other methods as prescribed by the scholarship program.

Article 18. Withdrawal of Applicants from Study Abroad Programs

1. An applicant who has been selected to study abroad but does not attend due to personal reasons must submit a withdrawal request to the Ministry of Education and Training. For applicants currently working at agencies, units, or localities that have nominated them for selection, the withdrawal request must be confirmed by their workplace.

2. An applicant who has been selected to study abroad but does not attend due to personal reasons shall not be eligible to register for scholarship programs managed by the Ministry of Education and Training for a period of two years from the date of submitting the withdrawal request.

Article 19. Reconsideration of Selection Results

1. In cases where organizations or individuals submit a request for reconsideration of the selection results for scholarships, the main unit responsible for admissions shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant units to review and process the request, and provide a formal written response within thirty working days from the date of receipt of the request.

2. The reconsideration of selection results shall only be conducted once for each applicant applying for a scholarship program.

Chapter V

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 20. Awards

1. The head of the main unit responsible for admissions proposes to the Minister of Education and Training to award:

a) Those who have excellently fulfilled the assigned admission tasks;

b) Those who have made significant contributions to the admission work.

2. The award expenses shall be deducted from the admission fee.

Article 21. Handling Violations by Applicants

1. Applicants for studying abroad who violate these regulations shall be subject to handling based on the nature, severity, and consequences of the violation, including:

a) Not being allowed to register for study abroad programs under scholarship programs managed by the Ministry of Education and Training for a minimum of two years or permanently; cancellation of the selection result (for those who have already been selected);

b) Administrative penalties according to the provisions on administrative penalties in the field of education or criminal prosecution according to the law.

2. Applicants who are civil servants or public officials will be disciplined according to the Law on Public Officials and Civil Servants, the Law on Public Officials, and other legal documents on disciplinary measures for civil servants and public officials.

3. Based on the nature and severity of the violation of the regulations, the leadership of the main unit responsible for admissions decides to apply the handling measures stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article or recommends the competent authority to handle according to the law.

The handling of violations against applicants must be notified to the applicant and the agency or locality where they work or reside.

Article 22. Handling Violations by Admission Staff

1. Admission staff who are civil servants or public officials and violate these regulations, if there is sufficient evidence, will be disciplined according to the Law on Public Officials and Civil Servants, the Law on Public Officials, and other legal documents on disciplinary measures for civil servants and public officials, depending on the nature, severity, and consequences of the violation.

2. For those who violate the regulations on admission for studying abroad as contractual employees, the leadership of the employing unit decides to handle according to the Labor Code and current legal documents.

Article 23. Responsibilities of Applicants

1. Complete the application dossier and bear legal responsibility for the accuracy and truthfulness of the information provided in the dossier; submit the application dossier fully and on time, and register for the scholarship program in accordance with the regulations.

2. Fully and strictly comply with the obligations of scholarship applicants as stipulated by each scholarship program.

Article 24. Responsibilities of the managing agency or the agency introducing candidates for recruitment

1. Nominate persons to participate in the recruitment process in writing in accordance with the target group and meeting the recruitment conditions.

2. Bear legal responsibility for the contents confirmed in the application dossier of the candidate.

3. Be responsible for handling procedures to send selected candidates abroad for study, receiving and arranging work for candidates upon their graduation and return home (as committed in the recruitment agreement when nominating candidates for study abroad).

4. Create favorable conditions for selected candidates who go abroad for further studies to participate in training courses to improve their foreign language proficiency organized by the Ministry of Education and Training, the managing agency, or registered independently by the candidates.

5. Accept candidates back for continued education and work if they have been selected by the Ministry of Education and Training but request to withdraw from studying abroad due to valid reasons.

Article 25. Responsibilities of units under the Ministry of Education and Training

1. The Department of International Education Cooperation:

a) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant units in issuing announcements on admissions, organizing admissions for overseas study, and processing results after selection for scholarship projects, programs, and schemes according to the tasks assigned by the Minister of Education and Training as stipulated in this Regulation and related documents;

b) Coordinate with other leading admission units to organize admissions for overseas study for scholarship projects, programs, and schemes led by other units according to the tasks assigned by the Minister of Education and Training;

c) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant units to develop overall plans, annual plans, and budget estimates to implement state budget scholarship programs, agreements, and other scholarships;

d) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant units to compile and report statistics on admissions for overseas study under scholarship programs.

2. The Planning and Finance Department will balance enrollment quotas and financial plans for admissions for overseas study using state budget funds.

3. The International Cooperation Department will cooperate with the leading admission unit to verify the quality and reputation of foreign educational institutions accepting students.

4. The Department of Testing and Quality Assurance will cooperate with the leading admission unit to verify and recognize diplomas obtained from foreign educational institutions for candidates.

5. Other Departments and units will cooperate with the leading admission unit to handle matters related to the recruitment process for overseas study according to their assigned functions and responsibilities.

Article 26. Transitional Provisions

1. Legal regulatory documents referring to the recruitment regulation for overseas study issued together with Circular No. 01/2013/TT-BGDĐT dated January 29, 2013, shall apply the recruitment regulation for overseas study issued together with this Circular from the date this Circular takes effect.

2. Scholarship projects and programs established and implemented after the effective date of this Circular, if detailed regulations on the recruitment process are developed based on the specific characteristics of the project or program, must ensure general conditions and principles regarding organization of the recruitment process as stipulated in this Regulation.